The breaching and improvised explosive device training took place at the
former Arnold Elementary School that is scheduled to be demolished in
the near future.

Master Sgt. Jennifer Allara, chief of 436 Civil Engineer Squadron
Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, said the fact that they were dealing
with a building that was about to be torn down provided a great chance
to conduct some valuable realistic training.

"We thought it would be the perfect opportunity to run a full-spectrum
exercise on current threats," she said. "It is very valuable, not just
for the explosives, but getting with our local brothers and getting to
train together."

Allara, a native of Seaside, Ore., said that EOD personnel try to
minimize damage within reason, but personal safety is always the first
consideration.

Delaware State Police Sgt. Christopher Ennis, commander of the Explosive
Ordnance Disposal team, said this type of training is hard to find.

"It's a fantastic opportunity," he said. "We enjoy getting with the
military and seeing how they operate in the field. We learn a lot from
each other."

Ennis said he has been working for a long time and he has noticed that
the frequent deployments his military brothers have been serving have
greatly increased their knowledge base.

"Back when I first started we were not at war and we were a bit ahead of
them in dealing with military ordnance," he said. "Now they are coming
back from overseas and teaching us some amazing techniques. We are now
the ones behind the curve a bit."

The native of Lewes, Del., said the fact that personnel from the New
Jersey State Police traveled the long distance to the base proves just
how valuable the training was.

"We are collecting data off these doors in a real environment that we can only collect in this situation," he said.

Ennis said the shockwaves from blasts travel differently inside of a
building than they do in an outside environment. He said they
experimented with different levels of explosives to gather data on the
right amount of explosives.

"We are aiming for the minimum amount of explosives necessary for a
positive entry," he said. "Being able to experiment here totally takes
the guess work out of the process."

The sergeant said the data could prove to be invaluable in a real-world emergency.

"It is great to get some more value out of this school before they tear
it down," he said. "It has served the community for so long in the
education of our youth. Now the last lessons it is facilitating could
save lives."